O Beija-Flor - Regulus Black (Complete)

XXXVII -

TW: Sexual Content (conversation and discussion of virginity), Misogyny

That Sunday of June, the dinner in the Burrow was prepared for nothing short of a battalion. The table was set for far too many people and good food was something that would not be amiss in that house. There were mashed potatoes, meat, chicken, beans and – surprisingly – rice; that showed Cecilia one thing: Molly was trying to get on her good side.

"Come on," Molly said once Cecilia complimented her on the rice. "See? I can make good food as well. You don't need to try to go through things by yourself, you've proven you can do this by yourself, but you don't need to anymore," she seemed to try for a teasing tone. "But it's enough now, alright, Cecilia? Can you come back home?"

Cecilia blinked, suddenly uncomfortable.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm trying to say that it's inappropriate for you to stay with three single men by yourself, you might get a bad reputation," Molly said.

"Nobody knows I live there," Cecilia said, quickly shooting down her explanation for her to go back to the Burrow. "I'm quite happy there. I'm sleeping in a room by myself since you all are here and I have a lock on the door. We all trust the three men I live with, why does it change just because I'm alone with them?"

"You certainly understand," Molly said.

Ginny was looking between the two in silence, following the conversation with Hermione pretending not to at the same time. Harry and Ron were talking amongst themselves and teasing Sirius about something, which made the older man laugh without much care in the world.

"I certainly don't," she insisted. "Molly, they're good men. Why is there a problem for me to live with them?"

"You're a girl, a young girl living with a young man and two older men that are not married before your own marriage," she said. "That could taint your reputation if it ever gets out. Your mother –"

"My mother has very little say in my life anymore," Cecilia quickly cut her off, trying to finish the conversation right away.

There was silence in their part of the table. Dumbledore had shared with the people in the Order (with Cecilia's consent) about the paternity test and its result, it was very clear by the sudden awkwardness between the two women that they shared at least some bad thoughts about the woman that birthed her and Cynthia.

"Your mother wouldn't want this for you," Molly finally said.

"My mother doesn't care," Cecilia insisted. "As long as it had nothing to do with her and it didn't taint Cynthia at all, she doesn't care."

"This isn't a fair thing to say. She cares, Cecilia, she just has a harder time showing it," Molly insisted.

"Molly, you know, you only see what you want to see – you see the good side in people that don't have it and the bad side in people that never showed any of it. How can you say that my mother cares and yet insists that my reputation is in any form of danger living with Sirius, Remus and Regulus?" Cecilia asked.

It wasn't complete teasing. There was a part of her that was truly interested and curious on the answer that would receive, but no answer came, Molly just stared at her as if unsure of what words to use – so she said nothing at all.

"I just want you to be safe," Molly said.

"I am safe," Cecilia said. "That much, you can be sure. I'm in the headquarters of the resistance in a war under the Fidelius Charm and quite a few wards of protection. I'm very much safe. I don't want to come back here."